2018 Chevrolet Equinox crossover: only turbo engines, diesel optional

The 2018 Chevrolet Equinox crossover utility vehicle, unveiled last night in Chicago, will have three engine options, all turbocharged.

And bucking recent "death of diesel" predictions, one of those three will be a 1.6-liter diesel that gets a 40-mpg highway rating.

The 2018 Equinox will be the first compact utility vehicle in the U.S. with a turbodiesel option, showing Chevy plans to forge ahead with its passenger diesel plans despite the ongoing VW diesel emission scandal.

The new diesel Equinox will be GM's fourth light vehicle fitted with a turbodiesel engine as an option, following the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-size pickup trucks and the upcoming 2017 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel.

The two pickups, released a year ago right as the VW scandal broke, received a special letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that essentially underlined their conformity to applicable emission regulations.

A 7.0-inch screen is standard in the 2018 Equinox, which also offers an 8.0-inch display that wraps in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as GM's OnStar and a 4G LTE wi-fi hotspot.

Competitors in the high-volume five-seat compact crossover segment include the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and other entries from virtually every mass maker selling in the U.S. today.

Reflecting the strong competition among carmakers on the safety front, however, it's worth noting that Toyota has made its entire suite of safety equipment—including pedestrian detection—standard across much of its 2017 lineup.

More details on the 2018 Chevrolet Equinox—including specific trim levels, features, and pricing—will be announced closer to its February on-sale date.